I guess I should fill in the back story.
Nausea and pain have been better the last couple days, but since Sunday, Penny has had some chest pain and difficulty taking a deep breath. She went in for some fluids yesterday, and Dr Lakhani ordered a CT scan to rule out a possible pulmonary embolism, which he deemed “unlikely, but potentially life-threatening”, so worth ruling out.
The scan was this afternoon and didn’t show any clots, but did reveal a “small pneumonia” and that the lower parts of her lungs are not inflating properly. Time, increased ambulation, and a course of two different antibiotics should be enough to take care of that.
Because Penny is allergic to the IV contrast used in the scan, she has to do a 13-hour prep that includes 3 doses of prednisone. As a side effect, she had a bit more energy today and also ate better. The combination of yesterday’s fluids, the prednisone, and some extra calories meant today is probably the best she has felt in several weeks.
The prep also includes Benadryl, and in the past as the prednisone wears off the Benadryl hits. So we’ll see if that means a good sleep tonight or a bit of a draggy day tomorrow.
Comments
Jeffrey Schra: Glad to hear that this was “only” a small pneumonia and that the prep process actually left Penny feeling good yesterday. Praying for good rest and more good days ahead.
Mary Hulst: Grateful for a bit of good news! Prayers continue.
Marie VanderLinde : Praying the pneumonia responds quickly to treatment and grateful for good side effects!
Paige Munson: I'm so glad you went in and it wasn't a PE. Thanks for continued updates. Love you both, Paige
Andrea Turner: Wow - it's all about perspective!